Apparatus for assembling chip devices on wires

Apparatus for assembling chip devices on a wire, each chip device comprising two substantially parallel lateral walls, and a groove in one of the lateral walls for receiving said wire, wherein the apparatus comprises:

• a pinching device comprising two opposing surfaces, the distance between the opposing surfaces being substantially constant and substantially equal to the distance between the two lateral walls of a chip device, the pinching device being configured to pinch both each chip device and the wire;
• and
• a wire feeder adapted to continuously feed said wire in contact with one of the opposing surfaces of the pinching device;
• and
• a chip device feeder adapted to drive chip devices, one at a time, between said opposing surfaces, with their grooves turned towards the wire, the device feeder including:
• a storage groove adapted to lead a series of chip devices in contact with each other to the pinching device;
• a separator arranged near the pinching device for creating a gap between the last and penultimate chip devices in the storage groove;
• and
• a hook having an alternating movement between a first position in said gap, where it hooks said last chip device, and a second position near said opposing surfaces of the pinching device, where it releases said last chip device.